Judge Will Not Make Goodell Be Deposed As Part Of Super Bowl XLV Ticket Lawsuit

A federal judge will not compel NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to be deposed as part of the Super Bowl XLV ticket lawsuit, at least not yet. In an order signed yesterday, Magistrate Judge Renee Toliver of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas ruled that other execs at the NFL could provide testimony relevant to the lawsuit, which seeks compensation for the fans affected by the seating fiasco at the '11 game. “[T]here is no evidence that Goodell possesses firsthand ... knowledge regarding the relevant issues,” Toliver wrote. However, she did rule that if after deposing NFL execs, the plaintiffs felt they still needed to depose Goodell, she would consider that motion at that time. The '11 game was marred by temporary seats for thousands of fans that were not ready in time for the contest. Most of the fans eventually agreed to the NFL’s settlement terms, but not all have, and the Dallas court has allowed part of their initial lawsuit to proceed.